Here’s a hands-on approach to crafting your own natural wood raised garden bed. The inspiration for this project arose when the owner recognized the need for a dedicated space to nurture vegetables and plants. However, instead of opting for costly pre-made raised garden bed kits, the goal was to find a more practical and budget-friendly solution.
He saw the opportunity while clearing the garden. Instead of dumping or burning fallen branches and logs, he decided to turn them into a raised garden bed.
This exceptional natural wood raised garden bed embodies all the advantages of a conventional counterpart, with the added distinction of being meticulously crafted from organic materials. What truly sets this natural wood raised garden bed apart is its enduring appeal. Even when left without plantings, it continues to grace the garden with its inherent beauty and distinctive presence.
This natural wood raised garden stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics, enriching the garden’s overall ambience as a captivating and perennially appealing feature. Whether bursting with greenery or awaiting its next cultivation, this natural masterpiece remains a cherished highlight in any garden setting.
We’re gathering fallen branches and logs! How about you? Do you have an ample supply to create your very own natural wood raised garden bed?
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Materials
- Small branches
- Logs
- 2″x4″ Timber
Hardware
- String
- Screws
Tools
- Power Drill/Driver
- Hammer
- Shovel
- Trowel
- Handsaw
Steps
The first steps involve a certain amount of design and this will depend on your site, required garden size, and other variables that you consider important for your garden.
Step 1: Design the raised garden. The major variable will be the height of the garden. If you want your natural wood raised garden to be about waist height, it should be about 1m high.
This is primarily so one can bend over and reach plants toward the rear of the garden. You can make yours any height, however, the post hole depth that you will need to dig should be at least the height of the garden. Essentially you are trying to create a retaining wall so be very careful with your design – you don’t want to harm anyone from a collapsing natural wood raised garden!
Before you start, ensure you have enough branches. And if you are building next to a fence (as I have done) ensure that you place a polythene sheet between the fence and the soil to avoid rotting of the fence.
Bigger branches, measuring 100-150mm in diameter serve as posts.
Step 2: Based on the design that you choose for yourself, dig deep holes at least the height of your garden. You will also need to choose decently thick branches for the posts.
I used the biggest I had, which was about 100-150mm in diameter. These posts should be reasonably straight with minimal notches and the length should be at least twice the height of the garden (plus some) – 1/2 will be underground, 1/2 above ground, and a little leftover to trim flush with the timber beams.
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